A week in Brisbane

Spring has arrived in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

And with it of course the blustery weather, warmer days, rain,

snow and gales...but also a promise of warmer settled days.

Snowdrops on a fenceline after a rainy day.

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My GKB and I had had a holiday in Australia booked for several months before Mum passed away and so a month after her death we winged our way across the Tasman. It was a wonderfully relaxing time. We spent our first week in Brisbane, we had an apartment about 15 minutes walk from the CBD. All downhill.

Coming home we would get a cab.

This was the evening view from our balcony.

Across the road and to the right was a lovely garden and although we had stayed here before with the kids, strolling around gardens is not something they really want to do - they tend to like something a little more exciting, like theme parks :) We hadn't intended to spend time there this morning either, were just taking a shortcut but it was so tranquil and relaxing we spent most of the morning there.

We came across this little train while we were there and decided to go for a ride. A gold coin donation for the garden tour, about a twenty minutes ride. Fun. When it stopped we were just a hundred metres from a lovely tearooms/coffee shop and it was lunch time. A nice way to spend the morning.

Below, a garden view.

One day we went to Southbank, across the river from the CBD, and met up with our niece, Amanda. We also met her two wee daughters for the first time. Last time we saw Amanda she was only about their age, her parents had moved to Aussie and she had just started school. Southbank is a lovely place for a day out, food outlets, river rides, ferris wheel and a children's playground. Another relaxing day out and so good to see the littlies enjoying themselves. Below is a little portion of Southbank.

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We also decided to go to Australia Zoo, founded by Steve Irwin.

We enjoyed our day here as well and of course we went to watch the crocodile show which we thoroughly enjoyed. There was a performance with native birds as well, trained to fly from certain places and put on a bit of a show and I have to admit I actually enjoyed the birds more than the crocodiles, but don't tell anyone.

Of course being a zoo there were heaps of animals, kangaroos, koalas, dingos for example but I was disappointed that the camels were gone, still have never seen one. I loved the rhino family lined up snoozing in the sun though :) Don't they look great? Daddy, mummy and baby bear, oops I mean rhino.

It was a long day though and I have to admit that we were pleased to see the bus arrive to take us all back to Brisbane. We'd been on the go for ten hours by the time we got back to the apartment.

And here we are, finally on our flight north to Mackay where we caught up with sisters, nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. Oh and a contingent of Kiwis all escaping the cold southern winter :)

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My thoughts and prayers are with the folk in the Carolina's and other states that may be affected by hurricane Florence. Also with you in the Philipines and China. Such heartbreaking devastation is being endured by so many. Kia kaha - stand strong.

Diana

Mum

I would like to pay a tribute to my little mother before I go on with my blogging journey.

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Mum was named Dawn because she was born as the sun rose one summers morning. She was a frail baby and was sustained by my Grandmother  massaging her with olive oil several times a day until she was strong enough to tolerate some condensed milk. And this she lived on for quite some time. In spite of all this she was a happy child and her father always called her smiler. She was always a battler, she had to be. She married young but by the age of 22 was separated with four children under the age of 5 - one set of twins there :) Later she remarried and 2 more boys were born and we were a happy family.

Mum supported all her kids in their sports, clubs, dreams and hopes and enabled us all to pursue the careers of our choice, even though at times it meant some hardship for her. She  had no favourites but woe betide any daughter who dared to criticize one of her sons! Mum dearly loved all her grandkids and her great grandkids and was proud of them all - she always said the only thing wrong with the kids was the adults with short memories.

Mum enjoyed knitting, sewing, baking, jam and pickle making and was good at it all, kept us all well clothed and fed :) A real homemaker. She put down her knitting needles for the last time in her late 70's after knitting an intricate shawl for one of the new babies.

Later in life she began going to church and developed a simple but deep faith which carried her through until the end. She was involved in children's ministry as well as other facets of church life and made some close friends there.

We will miss you Mum, your smile, your advice, your passion for the things you believed in, your chats, your stories. But most of all we will miss you.  

'Til we meet again.

Mum in her mid 20's, a day out at the races with Grandad.

She made the coat and the hat herself :)

A year or so before she became ill, dressed to attend the Cathedral service with the Duke and Duchess of  Cambridge attending.

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I would also like to thank you all for your kind remarks on the previous post, I have appreciated them all.

Marcia, yes unfortunately Mum picked up the blood infection while she was in hospital for a short visit.

A little run of sadness.

I'm just checking in to let you know that although I have not been around it is for a good reason.

My little mother passed away on June 11 at the good old age of 88.

Three weeks later to the day my sister's niece also passed away aged in her early 50's.

Last week a lovely friend of ours died aged just 68.

All three deaths were totally unexpected, even Mum's as it wasn't her heart that failed but she contracted septicaemia and couldn't fight it off.

So we're all just a bit sad at the moment and life is going to be different in the future. I have to admit to being a bit      confused as well for some reason.

But I hope to be back on the page and visiting before too long.

Blessings,

Diana

Queens Gardens

Last Wednesday was Anzac Day, celebrated in Australia and New Zealand to commemorate our fallen soldiers not only from  WW1 and WW11 but also other conflicts we have taken part in. On Thursday I thought I'd like to go into the city and see the wreaths on the cenotaph there.

The Dunedin cenotaph is situated at Queens Gardens, a nice little park not quite in the city centre. Toitu Early Settlers Museum and the Chinese Garden are just across the road and in the summer it is quite a nice spot to have a picnic lunch.

When we arrived there a small preschool group having morning tea and the teachers were talking to them about the flowers and wreaths there. I think they may even have put a little wreath on the step as there was one made from little hand prints but unfortunately I didn't get a picture of it.

A wee way north of the cenotaph, still in the park, is this memorial to the men who have been awarded the Victoria Cross in various conflicts - the Maori War (1864), The African War (1899-1902), The Great War (1914-1918), The World War (1939-1945), and Afghanistan. The Victoria Cross is the highest military award for 'valour in the face of the enemy' in the British Commonwealth.

Of course there are one or two other monuments in the park, one being the Celtic Cross. In 2001 it was presented to the city on behalf of the Christian Churches of Dunedin and is also known locally as the millennium cross.

And of naturally there is a statue of the lady the garden was named for - Queen Victoria. I always think she is a rather stern and unapproachable looking figure. Very much the monarch.

Well that's it this week,

see you next time,

Diana

ANZAC Day 2018

Lest we forget

Fluffybum aka Mischief

Back in 2014 I did a post about the wee kittens that a wild mama had been bringing to a neighbours house to be fed. All of them were finally rehoused except the mama and this wee one at the back. I called him Fluffybum. He was a cutie. This year we finally managed to trap the mama, and both of her litters, and she has been desexed, inoculated and is back in the neighbours yard. The kittens are in the process of being rehoused.

Fluffybum, now known as Mischief, is still about. He has been adopted by the neighbours and now only has three legs after being hit by a car while playing on the road. He is quite timid still, but you wouldn't think so he way he is staring me down in this next photo.

A nice late afternoon snap, I thought.

Bellview Wetlands

Back in December eldest daughter held her 50th birthday party at Bellview Wetlands in Lawrence. The wetlands are still being developed and there are walking tracks, picnic areas and a barbecue area for people to enjoy. There are also some old buildings being restored but we never got photos of them although you can see some of them in the background of some of the photos. A lovely relaxing place to visit.

 I'll let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy :)

And to finish off, some of the party goers feeding

the eels in one of the ponds :)

joining Debbie for

friday foto friends